Bill Curran Receives 'Champion of Justice' Award From Nevada Legal Services for Pro Bono Work

Nevada Legal Services (NLS), a statewide, nonprofit legal aid organization, has presented its 2026 Champion of Justice Award to Bill Curran, a lawyer based in Ballard Spahr’s Las Vegas office, in recognition of his exceptional service to the community through pro bono legal representation.

Each year, NLS presents the Champion of Justice Award to one individual in recognition of exemplary support of equal access to justice for all Nevadans, through pro bono work and supporting broader efforts to expand access to counsel for those who cannot afford to pay. Bill was presented with the award at an event last month in Las Vegas.

A former longtime Ballard Spahr partner who is now senior counsel with the firm, Bill has helped guide Nevada Legal Services operations and policy as a member of the Board of Directors for nearly 15 years. Bill serves as the Las Vegas office representative to Ballard Spahr’s Pro Bono Committee, which oversees the firm’s nationally lauded Pro Bono program. The Champion of Justice Award is the latest recognition for Bill, a former President of the State Bar of Nevada, whose prior awards include the State Bar’s prestigious Presidential Award, recognizing an individual “who brings honor and integrity to the profession.”

Over his decades-long career, Bill has established himself among the top attorneys focused on Nevada administrative and government law, particularly in the areas of real estate development, land use and zoning, and gaming law. A former Chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, Bill’s experience includes working on some of the gaming industry’s largest casinos.